Free Bible lesson for kids · Ministry Begins

Jesus Is Baptized

Jesus came to the Jordan to be baptized by John. As He came up out of the water, the Spirit of God came down like a dove, and a voice from heaven spoke.

Teach this lesson: film, sheets and guide Print the coloring page

Bible passage: Matthew 3:13–17 · Mark 1:9–11 · Luke 3:21–22
Big idea: God the Father loves His Son, and He is well pleased with Him.
Memory verse: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matthew 3:17 (KJV)
Ages: Preschool to preteen (3 to 12), with tips for each age
Time: About 45 minutes
Included, free: Animated story film, coloring page, class sheet, teacher guide, questions and answers, a game

The story

Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John (Mark 1:9). But John tried to stop Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?” (Matthew 3:13–14). Jesus answered, “Suffer it to be so now,” which means, let it happen now. He said it was right to do this, “to fulfil all righteousness.” So John baptized Him (Matthew 3:15).

As Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove upon Him (Matthew 3:16). Luke tells us that Jesus was praying at that moment (Luke 3:21–22). Then a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). The Father spoke, the Son was baptized, and the Holy Spirit came down (Mark 1:10–11).

Read it in the Bible: Matthew 3:13–17 (KJV)

¹³Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. ¹⁴But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? ¹⁵And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. ¹⁶And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: ¹⁷And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Read it in the Bible: Mark 1:9–11 (KJV)

⁹And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. ¹⁰And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: ¹¹And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Read it in the Bible: Luke 3:21–22 (KJV)

²¹Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, ²²And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

Questions to ask

Which river was Jesus baptized in?
The Jordan.
What came down like a dove?
The Spirit of God.
What did the voice from heaven say?
“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

What this story teaches

Jesus came to do everything that is right before God (Matthew 3:15).
God the Father loves His Son, Jesus (Matthew 3:17).
God the Father is well pleased with Jesus (Mark 1:11).
The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit were all there (Matthew 3:16–17).
Jesus was humble, even though He is greater than John (Matthew 3:14–15).

Jesus Is God’s Beloved Son

God the Father said Jesus is His beloved Son. Everyone who believes on the Son has everlasting life.

John 3:36

A 45-minute lesson plan

5 min	Welcome and pray. Greet each child by name and pray: Thank God for Jesus, His beloved Son.
10 min	The story. Play the story film: each verse appears on screen in the King James Version while the scene plays. Pause to ask what happens next.
10 min	Talk about it. Ask the three questions below. Then ask: “God the Father loves His Son, and He is well pleased with Him.” What does that mean for us?
5 min	Memory verse. Say Matthew 3:17 together, covering one word at a time until the children can say it alone.
10 min	Activity. Younger children color the coloring page while you retell the story; older children do the class sheet (memory-verse fill-in, word search and questions).
5 min	Pray and send home. Pray together and send the sheet home so families can talk about the first question this week.

Preschool: keep it short and physical. Act out the story, use a simple prop, and repeat the big idea in one sentence.
Elementary: let children find the passage in their own Bibles. Ask “who, what, where” questions first, then “why.”
Preteens: read the verses before and after the passage, and ask how this story fits the whole story of the Bible.

Game time

For kids · game · indoors · about 8 minutes

Keep the Dove Flying

You need: A feather or a white balloon for each group

Groups try to keep their “dove” in the air by blowing on it (a feather) or tapping it gently (a balloon).
Count how long you can keep it up.
When it lands, the group says together, “This is my beloved Son!”

The Spirit came down like a dove, and God said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

For youth group · game · outdoors · about 15 minutes

Water Balloon Toss

You need: Water balloons, towels

Partners stand facing each other a few steps apart and toss a water balloon.
After every catch, both take a step back. Pairs whose balloon bursts are out.
Dry off and talk: what does baptism show about a follower of Jesus?

Baptism pictures a new life: buried with Christ and raised to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).

Pray

Thank God for Jesus, His beloved Son.